After releasing the teaser shots of the Sonata Hybrid last week, Hyundai has unveiled the vehicle at the New York International Auto Show. The Korean manufacturer has given the vehicle some unique looks and hopes that the vehicle can get up to 39MPG. Apart from the visible changes on the front end that are already seen in the teaser image, the vehicle also has new wheels combined with extended rocker panels to improve airflow across the flanks.
At the back end, the bumper cover has also been reshaped with sharp creases at the corners to control the air coming off and minimize drag. The changes in the body shape have dropped the vehicle’s projected drag coefficient from 0.28 to 0.25. Under the hood, the vehicle boasts a new six-speed automatic transmission with an electric motor that takes the place of the torque converter.
Running on lithium-polymer batteries, the electric motor churns out 30KW and 151lbs-ft of torque and handles drive and regenerative braking duties as well. Hyundai also claims that in the EV mode the vehicle can go up to 62mph. Additionally, the vehicle packs a re-calibrated 2.4-liter direct injected inline-four engine that operates on an Atkinson cycle.
